Community engagement activities will support the development of the Commonwealth’s BEAD and Digital Equity plans

Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority (Authority) Executive Director Brandon Carson announced a series of upcoming public engagement activities to support the development of the Commonwealth’s Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and Digital Equity (DE) program plans. Extending and expanding access to broadband across Pennsylvania and making connection more reliable and affordable is a top priority of Governor Josh Shapiro and his Administration.

The ‘Internet for All: Connecting the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’ initiative aims to reach a diverse cross-section of residents, businesses, and organizations through a public survey and robust schedule of community conversations and roundtable discussions in all regions of the state. The feedback and data received during these events will be crucial to the Authority as it works to minimize Pennsylvania’s existing digital divide.

“Pennsylvanians have an absolutely essential role in helping the Authority develop the BEAD and DE plans and we want to hear from as many Pennsylvanians as possible at our upcoming community engagement events,” said Executive Director Carson. “We’re working hard to make Internet for All a reality in Pennsylvania, and being able to incorporate feedback from our residents, businesses, and organizations is crucial in helping us develop broadband plans that address barriers and needs.”

Community engagement activities will include:

• Community survey to help assess connectivity and digital access and identify barriers. The survey is being released throughout the commonwealth using several deployment methods to broaden its reach. Respondents will be able to submit a paper survey, respond online, or participate via phone. Paper surveys will be available for residents at select locations, including businesses, educational centers, local government offices, social service offices, and healthcare facilities.
• In-person community conversations across the commonwealth will provide Pennsylvanians with an opportunity to learn more about BEAD and DE and discuss issues such as barriers to digital access, equity, and literacy. The community conversations will also include discussions on affordability inequities, technical support, and cybersecurity needs. Several community partners will host conversation events to help collect feedback and further broaden the Authority’s outreach efforts.
• Mix of in-person and virtual roundtables will be held to allow for more dynamic events with stakeholders, advocates, and subject matter experts. The roundtables will enable participants to delve further into issues facing the commonwealth and share perspectives for overcoming current challenges.

Pennsylvanians should check the Community Events section of the Authority’s website often, as it will be updated to include details for new events as soon as they are scheduled.

The Authority has also formed a working group that includes stakeholders with digital access and equity interests who are active within their communities. This group is comprised of a variety of sectors and primarily includes organizations representing covered populations, as defined in the DE Act. The working group, which meets biweekly to stay apprised of the Authority’s BEAD and DE activities and offer insight, will continue to meet to help inform and guide the implementation of the DE plan.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Broadband Development Authority and the upcoming community engagement activities, visit the Authority’s website.

The National Rural Health Association’s (NRHA) Rural Health Fellows Program is a yearlong, intensive training program that develops leaders who can articulate a clear and compelling vision for rural America. The goal of the fellows program is to educate and develop a network of diverse rural leaders that will step forward to serve in key positions in the association, affiliated advocacy groups, and local and state legislative bodies with health equity as a main focus.

Each year, NRHA selects 10 to 15 highly motivated individuals who have proven their dedication to improving the health of rural Americans through their educational or professional experience.

The submission period for 2024 Rural Health Fellows applications is now open. For more information, contact Ally Zimmerman.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is making investments that will create new and better markets for agricultural producers and food businesses in 19 states across rural America.

“The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are standing up for America’s farmers and ranchers by expanding processing capacity, creating fairer markets, more revenue streams and market opportunities which help bring down food costs for families at the grocery store,” Secretary Vilsack said. “We are partnering with entrepreneurs in rural areas to build brighter futures, connect business owners to new markets and create good jobs for generations to come. These investments reflect the goals of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to rebuild our economy from the bottom up and middle out and make our communities more resilient.”

USDA is making investments worth $320 million to strengthen food supply chains and create more opportunities for producers and entrepreneurs in 19 states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Iowa, Idaho, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia.

To learn more, read the full news release.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration announced it has completely eliminated a backlog of Medicaid provider enrollment and revalidation applications, paving the way for more health care providers to become part of the Medicaid program, and giving Medicaid recipients more options for care. As of January 2023, there was a backlog of more than 35,000 provider applications and revalidation applications that were more than 30 days old. By federal law, organizations are not able to offer care to patients under the Medicaid program unless they are enrolled providers. In addition, the Department of Human Services must revalidate Medicaid service providers every five years.

Any backlogs in processing applications means that providers who want to offer services to Medicaid recipients cannot do so until their applications are approved.

Click here to read the press release.

The No Surprises Act protects people covered under group and individual health plans from receiving surprise medical bills when they receive most emergency services, non-emergency services from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities, and services from out-of-network air ambulance service providers. It also establishes an independent dispute resolution process for payment disputes between plans and providers, and provides new dispute resolution opportunities for uninsured and self-pay individuals when they receive a medical bill that is substantially greater than the good faith estimate they get from the provider.

Unexpected medical bills are a significant source of stress, frustration, and confusion for people in the United States. The No Surprises Act gives them new rights to prevent, navigate, and find resolutions to many of these “surprise” bills.

To help consumers understand their rights, consumer-friendly web pages are now available for people with easy-to-read information and actionable guidance. The webpages’ design and content were informed by human-centered design research and user testing with patients, caregivers, patient advocates, and others.

The webpage aims to be inclusive and accessible by:

• Meeting Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1 AA)
• Providing all information in both English and Spanish
• Using plain language and clean design
• Centering the human experience with diverse and colorful illustrations
• Building the site to be responsive to different devices, including mobile phones and tablets
• Offering clear and multiple pathways for people to learn about their rights

When people visit the consumer website, they’ll be guided through:

• Understanding their rights under the No Surprises Act, including out-of-network billing protections and good faith estimates for future care
• Identifying actions they can take to exercise their rights and find a resolution if they receive an unexpected medical bill, using a Q&A tool that asks about their situation
• Submitting a complaint if they think their provider, facility, or insurance company didn’t follow the rules of the No Surprises Act through an optimized process and redesigned form
• Disputing a bill if they are uninsured or didn’t use insurance and they were charged more than their good faith estimate
• Finding guides that will help them navigate medical billing questions, as well as learning how to connect with the No Surprises Help Desk

Resources:

•  No Surprises Act Consumer Webpage: https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights as well as en Español: https://www.cms.gov/derechos-facturas-medicas
• New Protections for Consumers: https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/know-your-rights
  Payment Dispute Webpage: https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/help/dispute-a-bill
• Submit a Complaint: https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/help/submit-a-complaint
• Find an Action Plan: https://www.cms.gov/medical-bill-rights/help/plan
• Resources for providers can still be found at: https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises

NEW: CMS UNWINDING ANNOUNCEMENTS

CMS is committed to maximizing the number of people with affordable, high-quality coverage. We want to make sure people stay covered whether that’s through Medicaid, Medicare, the Marketplace, or employer-sponsored coverage. This work is all hands-on-deck and will continue to be. These announcements and resources below will help you reach Medicaid enrollees and help them complete their renewals and help connect them to other coverage as appropriate.

• CMS Press Release: HHS Takes Additional Action to Keep People Covered as States Resume Medicaid, CHIP Renewals
• Secretary Letter to Governors: This letter discusses HHS’ role in monitoring progress and enforcing compliance as well as flexibilities available for states to help ensure the process runs smoothly.
• Strategies to Prevent Procedural Terminations: This document describes multiple strategies states are encouraged to adopt to streamline renewals during the Unwinding period, minimize terminations for procedural reasons, and quickly reenroll eligible families who have lost coverage. It also highlights several new strategies CMS has recently made available to states.
• All Hands On-Deck: This fact sheet includes an update on Unwinding and strategies to help keep people covered.

PARTNER CALL TO ACTION

We are calling on states, members of Congress, the health care industry, community organizations, advocacy coalitions, and other public and private partners to do everything in their power to help people stay covered. Read more: All Hands On Deck: What YOU Can Do

NEW: MEDICAID.GOV UPDATES AND PARTNER RESOURCES

The Outreach and Educational Resources Page on Medicaid.gov/Unwinding has been updated to make it easier for partners to locate resources. Each resource includes recommendations on how they can be used to educate people about Medicaid and CHIP renewals. With the website update, you can find new resources for kids and families, fraud/scams, and educational videos included below.

Messaging and Resources for Kids and Families

• Post Card for Kids with Medicaid or CHIP (English and Spanish)
• Fillable Post Card for Kids with Medicaid or CHIP (English and Spanish)
• Post Card for Renewing Kids’ Medicaid or CHIP (English and Spanish)
• Fillable Post Card for Renewing Kids’ Medicaid or CHIP (English and Spanish)

Resources on Fraud/Scams

• Customizable Scam Alert Messages (English and Spanish)
• Social Media (English)

Educational Videos

Note: These videos can be used through February 22, 2024 and they cannot be used as PSAs.

Don’t Wait! Update! Get Ready to Renew Your Medicaid or CHIP Coverage (:30 Seconds):

• https://youtu.be/MFaBCH-hVB8 (English)
• https://youtu.be/atBHw_GD1ls (Español/Spanish)

Don’t Wait! Update! Get Ready to Renew Your Medicaid or CHIP Coverage (:15 Seconds):

• https://youtu.be/d5CAlr8PGl8 (English)
• https://youtu.be/cWj_5clH1Rc (Español/Spanish)

Don’t Wait! Update! Get Ready to Renew Your Medicaid or CHIP Coverage (:06 Seconds):

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn3EjrxokxQ (English)
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2zziuthgjA (Español/Spanish)

UPCOMING PARTNER WEBINARS

HHS and CMS continue to host a series of monthly webinars on Medicaid and CHIP Continuous Enrollment Unwinding to educate partners. Topics covered during the webinar vary each month. Webinars take place the fourth Wednesday of each month from 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET. Register for upcoming webinars through September 2023 here.

Recordings, transcripts, and slides from past webinars can be found on the CMS National Stakeholder Calls webpage.